


Anchor

by Rixie96



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha James, Alpha Steve, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov Friendship, F/M, Love Bites, Male-Female Friendship, Marking, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Oral Sex, Scent Marking, Scenting, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, morning run
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-04-18 05:21:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4693595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rixie96/pseuds/Rixie96
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James meets the one person that can anchor the other side of him. But it is never roses and rainbows when she's attached to the most wanted man of Hydra.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.pinterest.com/pin/419327415275236749/
> 
> this is what I imagine the character to look like with brown eyes.

She gave him a sense of normalcy.

They never talked but she gave him something that he strived for ever since he came back with Steve.

Well, she talked but he never replied. Steve thought it was entertaining since he used to be such the ‘ladies’ man’ back in the day and now he can’t even say a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a pretty dame. But that was just it. She isn’t just another pretty dame. Hell, he bet if he called her that he would get his ass handed to him since being called dame is not okay at this point of time. She was a ‘feminist’. She called herself that in one of her ramblings that must run in the gene pool of Starks. She got her brother’s motor mouth yet she has a filter. Nothing comes out offensive and when it does, she apologizes.

She looks at him like he hasn't killed any _murdered_ some of the most powerful people in the world. He _assassinated_. He had no control but that doesn’t help him sleep at night. She smiles at him as if she’s the Bucky that Steve gushes about because he is now James (even if he answers to Bucky when Steve calls for him). She keeps him company as if he doesn’t have the sign on him reading ‘DANGER: ALERT. UNSTABLE ALPHA.

And that was another thing. James had to get back to being used to being an Alpha. Especially an alpha around other alphas. Luckily the only alphas were Thor and Steve and they were patient with him knowing how repressed his dynamic was over the last few decades. But it made things more difficult when he was around her. She had an almost mute scent of a beta yet she didn’t act as one. James’ instincts told him that she was _his_. His omega and that scared him. And the way she reacted around him proved his point. She was submissive more with him than any other alpha but maybe that was for fear of upsetting the Winter Solider?

Marliana ‘Marley’ Stark brought more emotion out of James in his short few months he’s known her than any other person has over the last seventy years of his life being a killer.

James started to believe that he wouldn’t ruin it between them.

But then Sunday happened.

 

No one was home. The Avengers was off and since James is still unstable—Steve believes—then he has to watch the nest with JARVIS and Marley. Marley invited him last night to come up and binge watch ‘Game of Thrones’ with her and the way she describes it seemed very intriguing to him. So he woke up early. Did his morning run on the treadmill; ate a hardy breakfast. Showered in cold water—because he doesn’t want to get _too_ use to the luxuries of the Starks’—and slipped on black basketball shorts and a loose grey hoodie. His damp long hair pulled into a messy bun showing his scruffy face. He hasn’t bothered shaving and a comment that Marley said about ‘loving beards’ has never left his mind.

He hesitated to walk into the elevator. He has never been alone with Marley before. And knowing how long the team would be gone, he was sure he would be with her for a good part of the day because of the way she explained ‘binge watching’ a television show. Though his humane side of him was worried and concern, his dominant side that was pining for the less genius—but still super smart—younger Stark attention. He wanted to run his nose over her slender neck and biting on her unclaimed spot that has been haunting his dreams for months. As his elevator stopped on her floor (right under Tony’s floor) and he stepped out, James stopped right in his tracks.

 

JARVIS didn’t know how to aid his mistress. Mistress—which Tony programmed JARVIS to call Marley—woke up in her own sweat-drenched in it. She knew what was going on instantly. She hasn’t had one since she was sixteen at MIT and college alpha about to tear open her door to get to her. But here she is. Thirty years old with a repressed heat that came on full on with a vengeance after fourteen years of suppressing.

She dragged her sluggish body towards the shower and ordered her AI to put it on ice cold. She laid there for the better half of the time.

“Mistress, I must remind you that Sergeant Barnes, will be arriving in twenty minutes,” JARVIS reminds her. She groans at the thought. It is not like she is dreading it but she would go in heat and embarrass herself in front of him. And when she finally gets some alone time with him, _this_ happen. Marley doesn’t reply, though. She leans against the tiled wall on her knees and closed her eyes imagining the Winter Solider in there with her.

That didn’t go well with trying to suppress her heat.

All she could picture was rugged yet sexy James in the shower. Hot water cascading down his toned body. His blue eyes now blown as they stared at her before leaning over her. Those naturally rose-colored lips of his parted as he panted because he could barely breathe from being in the same room as the condensed smell of her slick. Him fisting her hair with the right hand as his metal hand—which she has a sort of a nerdy kink over—tracing over her overheated skin. Marley would mew and whimper for more of his touch as he growls in appreciation for her impatience.

It took her another five minutes to get out and head towards her closet. The heat flushing over her body made her reach for the white translucent light silky camisole nightgown that brushed over her knees just barely. It clung to her body loosely leaving room to breathe.

“Mistress, shall I call Sir?” JARVIS asked her.

Her eyes widened. “Hell no.” the last thing she needs is Tony teasing her about her being in heat. He doesn’t understand. Him being the annoying beta—borderline Alpha—wouldn’t understand the ups and downs of her dynamic.

She walked towards her kitchen and took out some ice. She took the cube from the bowl and ran the melting ice over her overheated skin. She closed her eyes as she felt the water run over her flushed skin.

 

It took every bit of self-restraint not to pounce her where she stood. Marley’s eyes were closed and it seemed that she didn’t know that she was not alone anymore. His calculating blue eyes watched her closely in the short amount of time that he had before she realized that she has company. He never saw her in so little clothing.

As he finally took a deep breath through his nose, an unexpected growl erupted from his chest. She whipped around with wide eyes and her pink plump lips parted. He noticed how flushed her skin was. How the heat emitted from her.

“Bucky,” she said his name like it was a prayer. Her wide eyes took him in. She bit her bottom lip like she was considering a thought. She ran her fingers through her dark mane before nodding to herself.  She walked to him without hesitation. James braced himself. His hands balled into fists. His nose flared from the strong lucid smell of all things Marley. And his stance wide and prepared like he was anticipating a fight.

Marley stood only a foot from him. James couldn’t help but revel in how tiny she is compared to his height. Him being and alpha and with the serum in his genes helped with his size and strength. Her height stopping at his chest. She looked up with those big hazel eyes that reminded him of honey. She lifted her hand slowly bringing towards his chest that was heaving up and down from trying to control his instincts to jump her where she stood.

James stopped her hand mid-air. She gasped at the touch. James stared at her hand before he loosened his grip. Her hands soft and warm to the touch. He held them delicately as if they was fragile to the touch. He lifted her finger to his nose and inhaled. Marley noticed how his calculating blue eyes dilated in less than a second just from the fingers that were not too long ago pleasuring her in the shower at the very thought of _him._

A growl shook her from her thoughts.

She took her other hand and without hesitation she placed it over the rumbling of his chest. Right over his heart and she smiled as she felt the strong pounding of his heart racing at the touch of her. She grips onto the fabric over it and pulled herself into him.

“Please,” she whines.

 


	2. Chapter 2

James hated to not be in control. He hated it how completely tied down he was to Hydra with no say in the matter. He hated how he couldn’t control himself in his night terrors. It took long enough for him to even find a little part of himself.

But for the first time, he loved how he was out self-control at this very moment. He was holding back just a smidge with her but just _barely_ enough that he wouldn’t harm her. He lifted with his metal arm so that it wouldn’t take much strength to do so. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck and buried her nose at the hollow part of his neck. She inhaled and purred that sounded like music to his ears. He couldn’t help but have a proud smile on his face as she ran her fingers through his hair which made him think: _When did she take my hair down?_

He drops her on the sofa that was big enough to hold all the avengers and then some. She stared up at him with eagerness.  Her legs wide welcoming him in. She took his hips in by the back of her legs so she could pull him in. He grunted at the action but ignored it when she smiled at him with that winning Stark grin. James braced both of his arms over her and leaned down. Marley couldn’t help but love how restrained his was for an unstable alpha being in the same room as an omega in heat. He was being gentle with her. And hesitant.

But her _omega_ wanted more.

Rough and _now, now, now._

The kiss was forced and hard. He was taken surprised at how controlling she could be at her little size. Her legs wrapped around his hips so they could trap him into her embrace. One hand tightening the grip on his hair as the other one was making its way down his chest and _lower._

“Shirt off. I want to see— _feel_ you,” she demanded. James smirked before lifting up slightly so he could strip his shirt off with one arm. Her eyes trained on his body as he threw the shirt across the room. One hand cautiously went to his shoulder first which baffled him. It went to the part where his skin and the metal of his arm met. She lifted her head up so that she could give it a gentle kiss. Her fingers traced along his chest where a dust of hair laid. It went lower onto his abdomen where she smiled approvingly at the navel hair that—

“Let’s save that for later,” James finally speaks.

She nodded her head before they continued their previous action. One hand went to his back already leaving scratches. Marley felt in the back of her head how wrong this is. Not right. Hell, it’s not like she isn’t coherent enough to have lucid thoughts on this. She had an attraction to this enigma of a man ever since she walked in on him at Steve’s floor. She never felt such an attraction for an Alpha ever since her small little crush for Steve which ended just as quickly as it came. He was just _too_ nice which may not be a bad thing but maybe hanging with Tony for too long gave her a complex for players/bad boys.

It seemed that James didn’t like being the only one without a shirt on. He wanted to feel skin on skin as well. With ease, he ripped off her night gown with one move and didn’t expect her to be completely nude under. No underwear just completely bare. He growled in an approving manner. Her skin was flushed as he touched her soft skin that contrasted against his callous fingertips. 

James didn’t dive right in like any ordinary alpha would have done. He took his time. He relished this moment because he didn’t know when he would ever have _this_ ever again. He gave gentle kisses over her skin making their way down to her core. He could smell the arousal that was potent in the air.

Marley’s legs spread shamelessly and automatically as he made himself at home between them. She didn’t dare feel ashamed of the way he was staring at her most intimate part like a wolf staring at deer. He lowered his head and he _inhaled_ her and growled admiringly. He  teased her by nipping on her inner thigh as he rubbed her other one with tender touches. With her encouraging moans, he gave her open mouth kisses on her thighs kissing closer and closer to her center.

“Dammit, James,” she mutters as James purposely kissed everywhere down there _but_ her drenched center. James chuckled darkly. He lifted both her legs so that they hung over his shoulder.

“Just _beautiful_ ,” he whispered hoarsely in Russian. His dark brooding eyes went to hers. “You’re gorgeous. Your dark chocolate hair to your beautiful honey colored eyes to your dazzling smile. Even when you are flushed, sweating, and panting for me, you are beautiful,” he said.

If Marley was coherent, she would have smiled at how much he was speaking to her. This being the most he ever said to her. But she wished at this moment that his mouth was doing something productive instead of _talking_.

Before she could demand he put those rosy pink lips of his—he did just that. But instead of easing in with a finger or tentatively licking her; he dove right in with an open mouth kiss that made her squeal a squabble of words altogether. Both of her hands grasping onto his long hair not caring how tight she was holding it in a fist. He smirked at how tight she was holding it but that only stimulated him more.

“ _Delicious_ ,” he told her which caused her to groan. He went back to work. One of his hands running over her stomach as the other one held tightly onto her legs.

Marley couldn’t help but revel in how talented James was in oral. He wasn’t even using his hands on her yet. For the past few minutes, he has only been eating her out as if she was the best thing on the menu. It was as if he knew what moves with his tongue on her. he knew how to do it _just right_. She noticed how his metal hand was off her stomach as was on the coffee table next to him. He gripped it tightly causing the metal to dent. She jumped only slightly when the glass broke but that didn’t falter one bit.

Her climax with James was the most intense feeling she ever had. She came with a squeal that could rival a banshee’s. She didn’t dare be embarrassed. She didn’t just scream. She screamed his name which stroked James’ ego even more.

James already thought that Marley’s scent was intoxicating. But once she came over his face, the potent smell hit him hard with a force. He nearly fainted from how dizzy it made him. How strong the smell riled him up. He didn’t mean to leave a bruising mark on her thigh from how hard he was holding onto it for dear life. He could feel his own heart rate increase. His skin increasing in temperature. His eyesight going into a haze. Everything around him in the tint of red hue.

James figured out what was happening to him. The only time this ever happened to him was when he was fighting someone who was a challenge. Though this was ten times stronger than that. His mental state went straight out the window. His body acting on instinct alone.

He was in a rut.

Early rut. Well…he never had a rut in 75 years and from being so suppressed for so long he was shocked that he didn’t even rut her the first chance he had.

James lifted himself up slowly and stared at the way she laid herself out breathing hard. She laid tiredly as if she ran a marathon. He smirked at her position. Her legs still spread out. Ready for him whenever he was ready to dive in. he braced himself on his knees. He hooked one of her legs around his waist.

“Take me,” she said with hooded eyes.

He braced himself over her. His arms trapping her under him. He laid over her. His forehead against hers. His dark eyes locked onto hers.

“I…started…” he said gruffly.

She looked at him questioningly but once she saw how pink his eyes she realized what was going on. She has never been with a guy when he was in a rut. Hell, she never even been with an alpha. but she learned about this ‘rut’ since she was an omega and she may have to deal with this sometime in her future if she settled down with an alpha.

She nodded her head understandingly. She knew what this meant. That this is not James from before that was an attentive lover. This might as well be the ‘Winter Solider’ fucking her in the next few moments. Luckily, she could care less. All that Marley wants at this moment was to be fucked thoroughly and roughly.

As long as it was James Barnes, that was all that matters now.

He lifted himself up and gripped tightly on her thighs. Marley prepared herself by gripping onto the sofa ready for whatever he was about to give.

“ _Mine_ ,” he growled out at the same time he rammed himself into her to the hilt. Her toes curled along with her fingers. Her head bucked back with her mouth wide open with a scream leaving it. Marley didn’t even get a look at his size but by the feel of being stretched out and how deep he was. He was an impressive size.

Marley’s hands went to his shoulders bracing herself as he slammed in and out of her eagerly. It was inhuman of how fast and hard that he was rocking her world right now. She swears that the sofa had moved a few times but she didn’t give a shit at this moment. All she cared is getting her fix. He bent down so that his forehead rested against hers.

“Beautiful,” she called him surprising herself at how she could of come up with even one word at this moment. But it was only thing besides ‘Oh gods’ and ‘James’ coming out of her mouth when she laid eyes on him taking her with such prowess.

She said it again. James is beautiful. Even in her moment in heat or before it, she thought this alpha before she was it. Even if his facial features was tight and harsh with lust. His usually sad blue eyes were now black as night and his fair skin was flushed pink along with hers.

He then buried his face into her neck. His nose pressed against her claiming glands. The smell hazing his mind. All he could think about was _her_. This beautiful omega under him that clouded his mind with only thoughts of pleasuring her. 

“ _Mine,_ ” he growled out again but this time in Russian. He kept growling it out and that only furthered her pleasure. Marley thought that James speaking in such a harsh yet sexy language was such a turn on. He plunged into her more when her nails sunk into his skin. He bit into her shoulder—a few inches from her unclaimed glands.

She gasped when she felt him change his movements. He didn’t just keep plunging into her like a jackhammer. He grinded a bit then swiveled his hips hitting the right spot deep inside her. His metal hand clutching onto the sofa as his other one went to her rear lifting her up. She wrapped her legs around him getting what he was trying to achieve.

“I-I-I,” she could barely speak. “Close,” she finally said after another minute of him taking her in this new position. He pressed her down against the sofa again. And when she screamed his name and came over him, he growled admiring how she looked in the midst of climax. He rode himself into her through her climax and as soon as he was _close_ , he took himself out of her (which he patted himself on the back for remembering to pull out in such a state) and released himself over her torso.

 

It’s been two days of this. And on the third day, her heat was decreasing. Marley woke up on the third day alone in her bed. The covers on the floor. Her naked body sprawled out on her king sized bed. She still felt warm but didn’t feel obnoxiously hot like before. Her mind wondered over the last two days with James. She didn’t regret it. Now that her mind wasn’t foggy with need and sex, she could think a bit clearly. She would have been annoyed any other day for her heat creeping up on her like this but now, she was delighted. She laughed to herself. She never felt so much pleasure all at once.

“JARVIS, when did James leave?” she asked her AI.

“Mr. Barnes has departed at 2:43 am.” She frowned at the news. That was about thirty minutes after another round of sex.

“Thanks,” she muttered before heading to her closet and pulling out a robe.

 

“Hey, pal,” Steve greeted James as he entered the kitchen. Steve felt a bit anxious being on a mission for the past three days leaving James to his devices. But it put the weight off his shoulders when he entered their shared floor and seeing James eating a ham sandwich at the island of the kitchen. His hair messy and down. Him only wearing sweatpants. “Anything happened while I was—

Steve stopped in his tracks with a frown on his face. A familiar yet arousing smell his nose as soon as he stepped close to his friend. He suppressed the growl from erupting through him. James looked up at him like he knew what was going on with his blonde friend expecting him to call  James out on it. Steve rubbed his nose and cleared his throat.

“Uh…” his face flushed. Steve smelled this kind of scent before back in the forties. When Bucky was normal and had a new girl at his apartment every week. The smell of slick and arousal. But Steve was taken back at how the smell was back on his pal but mixed with the familiar scent of the little sister of Tony. Steve knew that James was going to spend a day with Marley watching TV with her but he never pondered on how it could have escalated into more. But Bucky wasn’t that smooth talker anymore so he didn’t worry about it anymore. But with the smell of slick over Bucky, Steve decided to tread carefully at this new topic he wasn’t prepared for.

“So…you and Marley?” he said with a grin deciding to head into the topic in a playful manner. “Didn’t see that coming. I knew she had a sorta crush on you but—

“I overstepped,” he cut him off.

“What do you mean?”

“I went to her floor,” he started. Steve never saw Bucky so worried. Steve was scared that maybe Bucky might have hurt the young woman. “And…she was in heat.” And then Steve understood.

“Marley is pretty understanding, Bucky. She won’t hold it against you. Especially when you are not 100 percent stable at this moment,” Steve assured his friend.

“I…I went into a rut. I was going to just…help her out a bit without overstepping, ya know? But then I was…nose deep in her scent if you know what I mean and next thing I know…my vision went red and all I wanted to do was rut with her for the next few days,” he explained. “She won’t forgive me.”

“She will. I’ll go and talk to her,” Steve told Bucky.

 

Steve walked in onto Marley’s floor seeing said person scrubbing her sofa. She jumped out at the sound of him clearing his throat.

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“Uh…there’s some…stuff that needs to get off my couch. A nasty stain,” she said trying to not give away as much as possible. It was pretty embarrassing to walk into her living room seeing the damage. The smell was the first thing she noticed but seeing the remains of both hers and James’ release made her blush like a schoolgirl.

“Um…I don’t know how to say this…Bucky told me,” Steve couldn’t help the flush of color on his cheeks. At least it wasn’t Tony who would try to be embarrassed for but instead, be all smug about it and then grossed out about it since she is his little sister.

Marley groaned as she hid her face with her hands.

“I didn’t know that you were an Omega. I thought you were a beta like Tony,” he said trying to avert the conversation a bit to save them both.

“I had suppressants. And then out of nowhere I woke in heat. Those are some shitty ones too. I’m gonna kill Tony since he was the one that bought them claiming to be the first-class kind,” she rambled. “I have a doctor coming over to check out what went wrong,” she added.

It was silence for a bit. Steve didn’t know how to reproach the subject again. Marley could tell how nervous her friend was so she saved him.

“Look, I’m not angry at James,” she stated. “I was kind of…happy about it…not how it happened but I don’t regret it…jut wished that I was…fully—you know, I’m not talking about this in detail with _his_ best friend. I need my own best friend to dish this out too,” she joked. She thought about calling over Natasha and Clint but Clint didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut. He would tease her for the next era or something. “I just don’t want him beating himself up about this. I’ll talk to him but I need to get over this embarrassing feeling. I was kind of…not myself at the time.”

Steve nodded his head and left. At least they got that out the air.


	3. Chapter 3

“What’s the emergency?” Clint and Natasha now rushing into her floor ready to fight whatever is endangering their favorite Stark. When Marley told JARVIS to call her agent duo to come up quick; she might have made it sound more urgent than what it really was.

Natasha was the first to smell the potent smell of alpha and omega pheromones. Marley tried everything to air out the smell (even though she can’t get enough of it) just in case Tony comes to her floor and outs her about it.

“So…you and James?” Clint waggled his eyebrows after giving an obvious whiff of the air. “…wait. You’re an omega?”

Natasha hid her astonishment as well. She liked to think that she was good at judging dynamics by one’s behavior and you rarely acted as a textbook omega but also not as a beta either. Natasha chalked it up to a beta with a few omega tendencies like she chalked it up to Tony being a beta with alpha tendencies.

“I’m hurt that you never told me this,” his feint hurt.  Marley rolled her eyes.

“Sorry I’m not sorry,” she shrugged. “Now come. Tonight is girl talk,” she said as she led them to her bedroom.

“I don’t know if you didn’t know this, but I have a dick,” said Clint. “And testosterone and no ovaries. Those being the prohibited in the realm of ‘girl talk.’”

“Clint, its figure of speech, you dolt,” she rolled her eyes. “You’re like my gay best friend who I talk to about stuff like this minus the whole you being gay thing since you’re straight as an arrow,” you said.

“Aw, you flatter me so,” he hugs you. But then he stops. “I really don’t want to have a sleepover the sofa you and James consummated on. “

“I cleaned the sheets. It’s that or the sofa with questionable stains on it,” Marley tells them.

“Damn it. Nat, any preference?”

“I rather deal with the potent smell of these stains than actually sitting on them,” she said as she led them to the bedroom.

“So I’m taking that this ‘girl talk’ is going to focus around our trusty metal armed grumpy cat?” Clint said as he flips through channels.

“Yes.”

“What’s to talk about? It’s obvious by the scent that you were in heat and things got out of hand,” he said. “If things were not consensual I bet, JARVIS would handle it. Right, man?”

“Yes, I take precautions over Mistress’ state of mind during her heat cycles,” he said.

“He must have seen the obvious crush you have on James,” said Natasha with a knowing smirk. “Now before you ask for advice since he’s avoiding you like a cat avoiding a bath, tell us about the sex.”

“Yes, tell us. Because I have not been laid in a while,” Clint mutes the television.

“It…was satisfying,” she said trying to hide the smirk but failing. She knew that her face was flushed from the scrutinizing looks they are giving her.

“Come on, Mars. He mauled your neck. Is this dude a vampire, too? Or is he a cannibal? Because he might as well claim you since he bit you so close to your claiming gland,” Clint teases.

Clint was right. When looking in the mirror earlier, she was turned on and embarrassed by the splotches of bite marks peppering both sides of her neck. She was lucky that she hadn’t seen Tony yet since he was making up for lost time with Pepper.

“He lost control,” she finally said. That took their attention.

“Did he hurt you,” Clint's voice strained.

“Um…I think if I was not in heat the biting would have hurt more but it fueled more pleasure,” she said with flushed cheeks. “He got into a rut which I feel like hasn’t happened with him since being with Hydra. He had only a smidge of control and it didn’t last that long.”

“Didn’t last that long. Bullshit. He hasn’t had a rut in possibly forever which means he could have ruined you and claimed you—

\--unless your insatiable lust for him tired him out, hm?” Natasha was never known to beat around the bush. “An omega in heat can shorten the rut’s time period if they have sex enough times.”

For a few long seconds, there was silence.

And then Clint ruined it with laughter. “Damn, now you really got to tell us about the sex. Not only is an alpha but a goddamn super soldier.  You tired one out. Is that a super pus—

\--Clint,” you pushed the pillow into his face.

 

* * *

 

Marley thought the best way to break the ice with him was to be funny and easy going.

She decided the best time to do this was when they are alone. When there is no chance for Tony to walk in on them. And Steve played a part too. Usually, they’ll have their morning runs together in Central Park but he decided to ‘sleep in’ but in reality run in the indoor track so that Marley can talk to him.

So there she was watching him on the bench. Her brown hair pulled back. She was wearing an NYU sweatshirt and running shorts. She looked down at her legs that she knew would hate her for making them run. She was never the athletic type. Though she appreciates nature she was never one to hike and have outdoor activities.

James must have been so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Marley when he ran pass her.

So she called out to him.

“Was the sex that bad that it made you avoid me?”

Marley stifled her laughter when he practically tripped over his own feet when hearing her. He turned around stiffly but his eyes stayed on her nose.

“What…I—it was—I didn’t mean to—did I offend you?” his nervousness was easy to spot when the breeze made his scent waft around her.

“You can at least not make me seem like some one night stand,” she feints hurt. His eyebrows furrowed. “It really hurts when my favorite grumpy cat ignores me.”

“I didn’t mean to—what? Is that supposed to be me? The…grumpy cat?”

“If you see your grumpy expression and this grumpy cat on the internet, you’ll know that this nickname suits you,” Marley grins at him. “Now that the awkwardness is faded; let's talk about sex.” She sensed his anxiety peak. “I’m not angry with you. I’m a bit hurt that you avoided me. Did I take advantage of you because I didn’t mean to corner you into—

\--no. It’s…not that,” he said. His face scrunched up in thought.

“You look constipated when you do that yet adorable at the same time,” she said. She couldn’t help but chuckle when he frowned her description of his expression.

“…it happened too fast,” he finally said. “We both had cloudy minds.”

“Well, at least get great sex out of it,” she said. James eyes then went to her neck that was now dark reds and purple bite marks. Before he could stop himself, his hand moved on its own. Slowly trailing over neck then cupping the back of it as his thumb ran over the love bites. His eyes transfixed on the marks of possessiveness he bestowed upon her. His hand moving on it’s on as it then went up to cup her cheek. Marley purring at his formal scenting that her body moved on its own as well making her bear her neck to him.

James gave a sharp intake of breath before stepping back.

“Sorry…I should have asked. That was…too bold and rude of me,” he chided himself.

“With scenting. We’re not that formal anymore. And it’s kind of the same rules as it was back then. For friends or closer relationships, no one needs permission to scent one another,” she said as her slender fingers splayed out onto his chest. She felt the thumping of his chest and the low growl he gave in approval. Her hand sliding upwards to his neck. “We just do it,” she smiled wickedly as she pulls him down to her level and stood on her toes to reach him. She rubbed her cheek against his scenting him in a more informal and intimate way that mostly family and lovers would do to one another.

She retracted back just enough to rest her forehead against his. His eyes now locking onto hers. His naturally blue eyes enflaming into a scarlet red laced with an icy blue blooming from the outside of pupil that was dilating slowly. 

“Did I overstep my boundaries?” she asked. He shook his head. “Ok, now let’s run.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was going to be another fluffy chapter of Bucky and Marley but ended up being ninty five percent flash back of a brother/sister relationship with Tony and Marley instead.

“Ok…maybe running was a bad idea,” Marley said as you leaned against his back. James gave a small smile even though she couldn’t bear witness to his rare smiles. He was giving her a piggyback ride after the many complaints that ran through the Starks’ genes over the weather, exercising, and her feet hurting. It was not just her feet but also her calves, her thighs, and hell she still couldn’t catch her breath. James tried to slow down but she told him he doesn’t have to slow his pace for her. After persuading him after twenty minutes of light jogging, he finally sped up.

But when Marley felt the overwhelming symptoms of dehydration, she all but passed out. James sprinted across the park when seeing her become dizzy and rest on the grass.

“You’re really attentive,” Marley said. She felt bad for having him cut his morning jog short but she was not complaining about being against his broad muscled back. She rested her chin on his shoulder and leaned into his scent gland so she could smell his addicting aroma. She couldn’t help but purr when his scent ripened from the light sheen of sweat over his body.

“Thank you,” he said. James couldn’t help but feel proud of that. He could remember himself back then being an observant friend to his best friend, Steve when his health problems flared up. But back then, he was alert because that was his brother hurting and not just because he was an alpha. But now? Yeah, he keeps watch over her because she’s an omega and his alpha side would not stay put when he’s around her but also because he cares about her wellbeing. It was hard to not watch closely to see if she fine or not.

James felt the tug of his ponytail holder and his hair falls over his face. “I’m usually not a fan of long hair on guys but on you, it’s doing something to me,” she said as her finger glided through his hair. “I just want to play in it. Wash it,” she ranted on.

“Are you suggesting bathing together?” he could feel his playful side come out. His thoughts went back to the night Marley suggested rutting in the shower together since you needed to cool off. Let just say that it was lucky that James had a good grip on the wall with his metal arm to keep you both from falling. He thought Marley must have been thinking of that time since her usual sweet and spicy scent altered into a more spiced aroma.

“I wouldn’t oppose,” she finally said.

 

* * *

 

Tony paused as soon as he left the elevator. There was an unusual smell that confused him. He rarely smells alpha on his sister’s floor. His eyes then trained on the empty spot in the living room where a sofa should be.

“JARVIS, what happened to Marley’s sofa?”

“She…discarded it,” he said after hesitation.

Something’s up, he thought. “I could clearly see that. Do you know why?”

“Mistress entrusted me to keep her reason a secret.”

“Sometimes I think she’s your favorite instead of me,” he grumbled. That thought caused nostalgia since the same thought came to mind when Marley was born.

* * *

 

He was thirteen when she was born and that still didn’t make his parents become better—well parents. Jarvis even at his older age kept good care of his baby sister. Tony knew that his sister was in good hands when it came to Jarvis. But that didn’t stop envious thoughts of Jarvis’ time being taken up by Marley because she always wanted him instead of their father or mother.

Her first word being, Jarvis or how she said it: “Jah-fist” caused Jarvis to smile contently at the little girl. She could never say her ‘R’s right. She never said, Daddy or Mummy, until she was three years old. But really gotten himself hooked onto her when she said, “T-tony!” when he walked in their mansion for Christmas break after not being home for two years. She was four years old and ran down the stairs when spotting the sixteen-year-old.

“Hello, Mars-Bars,” he teased her because she was rather chubby for a four-year-old. She smiled.

“I didn’t think you’ll come,” she said as her arms wrapped around him.

“She missed you,” Jarvis voice making him flinch. “She’s becoming quite the handful for someone my age. Your father is starting to notice her…energy,” he said. Tony knew what was in between the lines. She’s going to boarding school.

“Maybe if Marley builds something useful she could spend more time with father,” he said more venom then he intended to use. Jarvis noticing but Marley oblivious to it. He was stunned to see her bluntly refuse to spend more time with their parents.

“I wanna spend time with Tony!” her arms tightened around him.

“Oh, you do?”

“I have a feeling she is no going to be quite as…inventive as you were as a child,” Jarvis said. “She does not hold any interest in technology and building. Tell Tony what you want to be when you grow up.”

She stepped back eyes on her fingers. “Zookeepah…” she whispered.

“I take it that father dearest didn’t like that idea,” he asked Jarvis.

“He didn’t say it in the most…supporting way.”

“Of course, he didn’t.”

“But I do not think you should take advantage of her…adoration of you,” Jarvis said to Tony. He frowned. _When have I ever?_ “…because she’ll be the only family you have around in the future.”

Tony didn’t know what to say to that. He didn’t like being scolded by Jarvis. So he did what any other spoiled kid would do when scolded. He shoved his sister back and went back to his car.

Little did he know that maybe Jarvis was giving him a hint?

Because five months later when he didn’t see Jarvis at his graduation he panicked. He knew he was being a dick for not going home or contacting them but time got away from him.

A new butler answered the phone when he called.

 _“Who the hell is this_?”

“I’m the Starks’ butler, Maxwell. May I ask whose this?”

“This is _fucking_ Tony Stark. Where’s Jarvis?”

“Mr. Jarvis had a heart attack in March. He passed away. Would you like to—

\--tony hung the phone up.

Two years later his parents were killed in a ‘car crash’.

He could hardly recognize Marley in the front row next to Obadiah. Her face sullen and skin pale. Dark circles under her eyes.

For the first time, Tony was a bit down that Marley didn’t run to him and give him a hug. She didn’t cry. Hell, Tony didn’t dare shed a tear for them.

“She didn’t take Jarvis’ death well,” Obadiah said. “I thought…Howard said he would tell you. Sorry, you had to find out that way.”

Tony just shrugged it off.

“She was the one to find him,” he kept talking. “She said they were playing hide and seek and when he took to long finding him; she went to find him.” Tony knew where the rest was going. “Death…she never really understood the concept of it. So when the new butler came in? She didn’t take that too kindly so they shipped her off.” Tony finally made a reaction.

“The same school I went to?” Tony remembered the place. The boarding school was for the ‘gifted’.

“I think she is being bullied there,” he said. “She would send me letters instead of to Howard begging me to sneak her away.”

Tony couldn’t help but think history was repeating itself. He uses to send many letters to Jarvis to ‘sneak’ him away.

“Since I have custody I can do just that,” Obadiah said. “Want to go talk to her?”

“Hey,” he said to her.

She was only silent.

“I heard you go to a boarding school,” he said. “I hear you don’t like it there.”

She nods.

“Why you don’t like it there? Mean kids?”

Marley looked as if she was about to have a break down at the mention of the school. As if the idea of going back there is too hard to bear.

“Hey, Obie is not letting you go back there.”

Her eyes finally looked at him. “Y-y-y-you p-puh-promise?

Tony didn’t know what was going on. She never stuttered like this unless she talked to fast and her mouth moved faster than her mind. But it has been two years since they last talked.

“Yeah,” he said. “What’s going on there?”

She bit her lip and wrung her hands. “I-i-i-I h-h-hate s-s-sc-school,” she said. “T-t-th-they c-c-call m-me s-st-stew-stupid a-a lot. D-d-daddy s-s-said I-I-I’m s-s-stew-stupid. I-i-it’s b-b-bee-because r-r-read…ing i-is h-ha-hard. S-s-s-sum—some—t-t-times I f-fuh-for-g-get w-w-w-what I j-j-juh-just r-r-read.” Tony frowned. It took much concentration to understand what she was trying to say.

“Mars Bars,” he sighed. “You’re only six years old. It’s perfectly fine if you have trouble reading. Obie and I know you’re not stupid.”

She looked as if she didn’t believe him.

“Maybe it’s not your time,” he said after much, though. She looked at him with a confused look. “Sometimes for kids they can read well when they hit a certain age. You’re only six. I think you have about three or four years to go to get better.”

Marley’s eyes widened as if he said the best thing ever.

“I…I m-m-m-missed y-y-you…Tony,” she said as her arms wrapped around his neck. Tony couldn’t help but shed a tear. Part of it being that she didn’t stutter of his last name. But the other part maybe having to do with Marley being his only family and he knows he didn’t give her a good first impression of being a big brother over the years.

But that’s going to change.

 

* * *

 

“Why does it smell like sex in here?” he said when he sees Marley walk out of her room.

“Because that’s what it exactly smells like,” she smiles cheekily.

His eyebrows furrowed.

“And why the hell are you walking like that?” he scowled at the sight of his little sister practically waddling to the kitchen.

“Because my legs hurt.”

“Or maybe it has to do with whatever alpha that you gave yourself to ruined your insides?” he then shuddered at the thought of his sister and sex.

“I went running—

\--why the hell would you go running if not if for someone running after you with a gun? Was someone running after you with a gun?” he cuts her off.

“I needed exercise.”

“Sex is the best exercise. All you women do is just lay there as us men—

\--don’t say that shit in front of Pep,” she warns him.

“Okay, fine. Why is your couch gone?” she froze. He narrowed his eyes when seeing her reaction to the couch.

“Because it was her time. Ol’ Bessie—

\--to hell with that. That was a four-month-old couch. You know what? J? Who visited this floor in the past week?”

Before She could say anything to stop Jarvis he ran through the list.

“Master Clint, Mistress Natasha, Master Steve and Master James,” he said.

Tony went through his thoughts. Obviously, Clint and Natasha was out of the mix since both being betas and both in the friend zone by Marley. Steve was too…loyal of a guy to just sleep with his sister without asking her on a date but not before asking Tony for his permission to date her. So that leaves one person.

It was fairly obvious about her crush on the grumpy cat but Tony didn’t think that the guy would have romantic feelings in there.

“…does he frown when he cu—

\--Tony!”


End file.
